Kaylani:
“No, just head-dissolvingly-horrible. And aren’t you the one who’s going to need it? Why should I get one.”

GM:
“I’m so close to paying my ship off; I can’t take a hit like this to my reputation.”

Kes-Varn:
“So he’s not familiar to you otherwise? Not someone you pissed off?”

Caster:
“Well, you offered earlier. And my head doesn’t fit in most vats of dissolving liquid. It is too inflated by my ego.”

GM:
Balin: “No. I thought it might have something to do with that man who came around asking about you… but I don’t think that’s it either.”
J16 bleeps a string of agreements with Caster’s diagnosis.

Kaylani:
“I wasn’t offering. I was reminding you of the facts of life most of us are taught by creche teachers. Who probably couldn’t get through your ego either though?”

Kes-Varn:
Kes sighs with relief. “That was gonna be my next question. At least it’s not that.” She rubs a horn thoughtfully. “Does your client know about this?”

GM:
Balin: “Not yet. I let him know about my engine trouble… just not why I’m having engine trouble.”

Kes-Varn:
She sits forward with alarm. “You’re not still stuck out there, are you?”

GM:
“Jaleer Kortu, the X’Ting. He was female last time you saw him.”

Caster:
“This is where I remind you of my very elite and private education. That was about as well rounded as a particularly squarish… uh, square.”
“See, never took a class on metaphors. Should have realized how useful that would be on the fringe.”

GM:
“I’ve got about point two lightspeed. I’ll make it home, just not any time soon.”
Zeva arrives in the mess hall. “Oh, do they offer metaphor classes? I could have used that too.”

Kaylani:tilts head “I’m not sure I can come up with a good comeback to that one. Square peg in a round hole has always been a sad tragedy, not a happy tale for the younglings. We’re all ugly ducklings out here, after all. Not met a one yet who found their swans.”

Kes-Varn:
She rubs her face wearily. “Did he sound open to talking at all? After you refused his price, I mean.”

Kaylani:
“You could ask him to beep a little slower? I’ve heard people do that all the time, maybe it actually works?”

Caster:
“He’s right here.”

GM:
Balin: “I thought the matter was closed. But I remembered how, uh, persuasive you can be. And I’m sure you can get there before I will.”

Kaylani:
“Well then why are you asking me instead of him?”

GM:
J16’s head squeaks as it rotates back and forth between Caster and Kay.

Caster:
“Sorry, J. Also, I dub you J. Can you beep what you asked about earlier to Kay, but a little slower? She speaks binary, I, uh, am a little hopeless.”

Kes-Varn:
She manages a wry smile and raises her left fist. “Diplomacy.” She raises her right fist. “Persuasion.”

GM:
J16’s eye focuses on Caster and he beeps the string again, slower. It goes up at the end like a question, that’s for sure.

Kaylani:
“Aw. That was actually really nice, that’s no fun. You’re not supposed to be /nice/.” sighs “He asked if you did not like the acid planet? And then pointed out you’d just agreed to take an acid bath.” shrugs again

GM:
Zeva bursts out laughing.

Kaylani:grins “And there’s the nicest sound I’ve heard in days. We should definitely give you binary lessons, pretty lady. J16 is a delight.”

GM:
“Thank you, Kes, you’re a lifesaver.” His relief is tangible even over the comm. “I’ll talk Lora into cooking the best meal you’ve ever had.”

Caster:chuckles “It’d help me shed off all the extra weight you put on when you go from five meals a day to ‘maybe I’ll eat today’.”
“To be fair, I’m not a fan of nature features that can be described as ‘face-melting’.”

Kaylani:
“Seems like a fair concern when dealing with nature. Must admit I prefer some fancy lights and dance music myself.”

GM:
J16 beeps something quietly to himself.
Zeva: “Iridonia might have some of that. We didn’t get to look very hard last time.”

Caster:
“See? We do have something in common.”

Kes-Varn:
Kes’ smile falters briefly and she clears her throat. She considers asking how the family is, but she’s not sure she wants to know for sure that they’re doing well. “Assuming I make it back. Send me coordinates and I’ll see what I can see.”

Kaylani:
at Caster: “Horrifying, isn’t it?” at Zeva: “Oh, we should go looking next time, shouldn’t we?”

GM:
Balin: “Copy that. Transmitting now. Good luck.”

Caster:
“I think the captain might know a palce or two. We had drinks last time.” taps his nose “Don’t remember much of that night, but the morning after was an adventure.”

Kes-Varn:
Kes nods. “Yes. Please. And then we’re going to these coordinates Balin sent, as fast as possible.”

Caster:
“… because he has a lot of money for us to pick up and is just the nicest guy?”

Kes-Varn:
“Because he’s my brother-in-law.”

Kaylani:
“Oh dear.” kisses Zeva very gently on the temple before standing up "I’ll get her warmed up then, and see how fast we can make “possible”."

Caster:
“See, when you say it that way, I suddenly want to float the opinion where we don’t fly to those coordinates as fast as possible.”

GM:
Zeva suppresses a quiver, but only barely

Kes-Varn:
“None of you have to come with me. I just need to get there.”

Caster:
“See, when you say it that way, I suddenly want to float the opinion of, ‘no, maybe don’t do that’.”

Kaylani:
“Don’t be ridiculous. ‘Course we’re coming. And not just as a taxi.” bumps her shoulder against Kes

Caster:
“Unless I inherit your ship. In which case, I plead the fifth.”

GM:
Bella, arriving in the mess: “Nothing here on Dexus-12 except the possibility that another BOMB could go off at any time.”

Kaylani:
“Or, you know, we could just lose him out an airlock on the way, so we’d be /his/ last taxi?” glares at Caster

Caster:
“You have beautiful eyes when you’re trying to use them to punch holes in my chest.”

Kaylani:
“Ew”

Kes-Varn:
Kes shakes her head. “Caster, go to your bunk.”

GM:
Bella laughs at Caster’s remark.

Caster:pouts “I don’t have a bunk.”

Kaylani:
“Yes you do, just because you’re sharing with the speeder doesn’t mean it’s not /yours/.”

Caster:
“You’re not wrong.”shakes his head “Fine, fine. Just make sure the captain doesn’t do anything silly.” heads over to his bunk, idly complaining about mattress stiffness

Kaylani:rolls eyesmutters quietly*"and I’m supposed to do that how?"

GM:
Bella, to Kay: “I may be able to help with that.”

Kaylani:
Kay rolls her eyes again, ignoring Bella completely as she digs a small bag out of the back of a corner cabinet. “For you, Captain.” Throws one last frown in Bella’s direction before sliding off towards the cockpit.

Kes-Varn:
“Thanks, Kay.” She smiles weakly.

GM:WIPE TO Silent Destiny arriving at Iridonia

Kaylani:grumbles under her breath “Yay, time for acid baths and awkward family reunions?”

Caster:
“Still working under the ’here’s a giant bag of money’ theory.”

Kaylani:waves a vaguely rude geseture in his direction

GM:
With no cargo to declare, your landing at the capital city spaceport is fairly breezy.
(To recap: Zann Consortium jerks are gonna try to sell Balin’s cargo to Dagos Tull.)
(Maybe you can get there in time to stop it, maybe you’ll have to Persuade Tull to give it back)
As you make ready with the speeder, Caster’s comm chimes.

Caster:
“… Weird.”picks up comm

GM:
One of his contacts has sent him a message reporting that Vainglory has just been seen in the Iridonian city of Wortan, on the other side of the planet.

Caster:eyes widenyou can see a full range of expressions play on his face. He goes from joy, to contemplation to disgust to anger to resignation

Kes-Varn:
“That — that’s not far. Relatively speaking.” She rubs her temples. “Do you know if it’ll be there long? We can go after…”

Caster:
“It’s a ship. They don’t stay stationary.”

Kes-Varn:
“Observant.”

Kaylani:
“Kinda a good, point?”

GM:
You’re not sure if you’ve ever seen a droid roll his eyes before, but you have now.

Kes-Varn:
“But who’s got it? Do you know? Are they just visiting or is this a home base?”

GM:
(There’s a grainy picture attached)

Kaylani:
“How do they keep almost finding you but not quite? Or almost losing you but not at all? It’s suspicious. Should find out, right?” shrugs awkwardly

Caster:
“I’ve got a picture and a location. It’s enough to go on. This… it’s important to me.”

Kes-Varn:
Kes sighs. “I know, kid. I just don’t wanna send you in alone, but Balin—” She rubs her front horn.

GM:
J16 beeps willingness to accompany Caster.

Kaylani:
“That’s … probably a good idea, yeah? I mean, we just have to find your brother-in-law’s stuff? We probably won’t need … I mean.” is trying desperately not to say “what could go wrong” but is kinda thinking it

Caster:
“I set up the last job. I know how to keep out of sight. And besides, do you really want me around while you negotiate…. anything?”

Kes-Varn:
Kes opens her mouth, then closes it again.

Kaylani:gasps “That was clever! He is learning. We gotta help him out now, right?”

GM:
Zeva: “I’ll go, too.”

Kes-Varn:
Kes blinks in surprise. The droid, she could guess. But Zeva? “With Caster? You?”

Caster:mouth drops. Caster does not arrange his face in time to make this not awkward

Kaylani:makes an odd little squeak “I could translate?” waves at J16glances worriedly back at the Captain*
“I could taxi them over and come back to pick you up? Or?” glares back and forth now/why are you ont staying together so I can just worry about you once instead of all of you EVERYWHERE*